Donovan’s Steak & Chop House

Restaurant Gems showcases the finest restaurants the Valley has to offer. From mom and pop spots to kitchens run by celebrated chefs, each Wednesday we will profile a different eatery picked by our dining critic and give you the grand tour.

This handsome Phoenix steak house practically gleams with mahogany. And the veteran staff is just as polished.

But what really sets Donovan’s Steak & Chop House apart is the beef: wet-aged, corn-fed, prime-grade Midwestern beef. All you folks who swear your choice-grade, backyard-grilled steaks can match these are reality-challenged. (Less heavily marbled choice beef is one grade beneath prime, and it’s generally what’s available at most butchers and supermarkets.)

Even if you could find beef like this retail — prime-grade beef accounts for less than 2 percent of the nation’s supply — it can wholesale for more than $20 a pound. Are you going to age it? Are you going to sear-grill it at 1,600 degrees? Do you have the expertise to take it off the flames at precisely the right moment?

Donovan’s offers a variety of cuts, like New York strip, bone-in New York, rib eye and porterhouse. But the most striking is the filet mignon.

Why? Prime-grade filet is so tender you can practically cut it with a glance. And the taste is almost otherworldly luxurious.

While Donovan’s is no bargain, it differs from most other high-end steak houses by serving steaks with sides of potato and vegetables, not making you order them a la carte. But if you do want a side splurge, consider the creamed spinach or fat, crunchy onion rings.

Maybe start off with a jumbo Mexican white shrimp cocktail or a light asparagus salad. Finish up with cheesecake or key lime pie.